Masons on the Moon

On July 20, 1969 the USA landed on the moon. The second person to set foot on it was Brother Buzz Aldrin. He was a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417 of the Grand Lodge of Texas A.F. & A.M.. During this Apollo 11 mission, Bro. Aldrin carried a special deputation from the Grand Master of Texas, J. Guy Smith, to claim the moon as Masonic territorial jurisdiction on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Aldrin also planted a custom flag on the moon that was embroidered with the words, “Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, USA.” He donated this flag to the House of the Temple in Washington D.C. where it is still displayed in the archives and museum of the Scottish Rite SJ.

At this point the “Tranquility Lodge No. 2000” A.F. & A.M. of the Grand Lodge of Texas was founded. This lodge continues to operate to this day and allows any Master Mason in good standing from any Grand Lodge that is in amity with the GL of Texas, to join. It is named after the Sea of Tranquility, the location where the first moon landing occurred. On the special masonic apron is displayed the view of Earth from the Sea of Tranquility with the Square and Compasses and the shape of Texas on top of it. The lodge is “based in Texas under auspices of The Grand Lodge of Texas until such time as the Lodge may hold its meetings on the Moon. ”

More Info:
https://californiafreemason.org/2019/11/14/the-sun-the-moon-and-the-master/
http://tl2k.org

Prince Hall Freemasons

Prince Hall Freemasonry is a branch of North American Freemasonry for African Americans founded by Prince Hall on September 29, 1784. There are two main branches of Prince Hall Freemasonry: the independent State Prince Hall Grand Lodges, most of which are recognized by Regular Masonic jurisdictions, and those under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge. Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest and largest (300,000+ initiated members) predominantly African-American fraternity in the nation.

Prior to the American Revolutionary War, Prince Hall and fourteen other free black men petitioned for admittance to the white Boston St. John’s Lodge. They were declined. The Masonic fraternity was attractive to some free blacks like Prince Hall because freemasonry was founded upon ideals of liberty, equality and peace.

Unable to create a charter, they applied to the Grand Lodge of England. UGLE issued a charter for African Lodge No. 459 on September 29, 1784, which was later renamed to African Lodge No. 1. The lodge was the country’s first African Masonic lodge.

Due to the African Lodge’s popularity and Prince Hall’s leadership, the Grand Lodge of England made Hall a Provincial Grand Master on January 27, 1791.

There are two competing sets of organizations within Prince Hall Freemasonry. A minority of lodges, which are subject to the Prince Hall National Grand Lodge, are referred to as Prince Hall Origin, and the majority of lodges, which are subject to 41 independent state grand lodges, and are known as Prince Hall Affiliation (PHA).

When two Grand Lodges recognize and are in Masonic communication with each other, they are said to be in amity, and the brethren of each may visit each other’s lodges and interact Masonically. When two Grand Lodges are not in amity, inter-visitation is not allowed. Exclusive Jurisdiction can be waived when the two over-lapping Grand Lodges are themselves in Amity and agree to share jurisdiction (for example, since the Grand Lodge of Connecticut is in Amity with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut, the principle of Exclusive Jurisdiction does not apply, and other Grand Lodges may recognize both).

After carefully studying the records, the Grand Lodge of England concluded that the original Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was indeed entitled to Masonic recognition, despite the general tradition of “exclusive jurisdiction”, which meant that only one recognized Masonic body could exist in each state.

According to data compiled in 2021 45 out of the 51 mainstream U.S. Grand Lodges recognize Prince Hall Grand Lodges. Texas has had mutual recognition since 2006. While African-Americans can join any lodge in North America, Prince Hall Masonry remains a vital part of American tradition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall_Freemasonry

Even though we might all agree that it is way past time to move beyond this separation and openly embrace amity (mutual recognition) between mainstream and Prince Hall freemasonry, there are many reasons why these two different Grand Lodges still exist to this day. Some of it might stem from old prejudices, while others are logistical, organizational or even concerns about one organization potentially expanding its influence and swallowing up the other one. Even if one Grand Lodge extends recognition to the other, the second one might not reciprocate the gesture. This issue is very complicated and has many multi-layered causes. Simply claiming racism is an oversimplification that does injustice to all involved.

How to select a lodge

Masonry 101 encourages any interested potential member to visit as many lodges as is reasonable. Even though all lodges belonging to the Grand Lodge of Texas AF&AM are based on the same basic principles, each individual lodge has its own character. Some focus more on a relaxed atmosphere and fraternal fellowship, some are all about charity and community involvement, while others focus on philosophy, education and spiritual development. All lodges will include all of these aspects to some degree, but each lodge has a different focus.

Other issues to consider are the frequency of meetings: some lodges meet twice a week, with monthly stated meetings. While others only meet once every three months. Dress code can also vary greatly. There are some lodges that are very casual and known as t-shirt and blue jeans lodges, while others suggest coat and tie, or suits. Some even suggest black tie, or tux.

It is recommended to meet different lodges to see which one might be the best fit for an individual candidate. Additionally, since being a freemason involves frequent visits to the lodge, it is highly advised to consider lodges that are conveniently located within a reasonable driving distance from either home, work or in between. If it is a hassle to fight traffic to attend, then it is highly likely that it will prevent the member to become more active.

To find a lodge within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Texas A.F.&A.M.:
https://tx.grandview.systems/public_lodges

To find lodges in other states:
https://beafreemason.org

Masonic US Presidents

Out of the 46 presidents of the USA, 14 were Master Masons. One more (LBJ) had been initiated as a 1° Entered Apprentice, but he never completed his masonic journey. That is over 30% of all the presidents in the history of the USA. Considering that the average masonic membership of the USA male population has been between 1.25 and 3%, that demonstrates a significant influence on the highest levels of political power.

The following presidents were freemasons:

George Washington (1789 – 1797)
James Monroe (1758 – 1831)
Andrew Jackson (1829 – 1837)
James K Polk (1795-1849)
James Buchanan (1791 – 1868)
Andrew Johnson (1808 – 1875)
James A Garfield (1831 – 1881)
William McKinley (1843 – 1901)
Theodore Roosevelt (1901 – 1909)
William H Taft (1857 – 1930)
Warren G Harding (1865 – 1923)
Franklin D Roosevelt (1933 – 1945)
Harry S Truman (1945 – 1953)
Gerald Ford (1974 – 1977)

Other presidents with masonic ties are:

Thomas Jefferson – there is no written records of his lodge membership, even if he is often considered to be a Mason by both historians and Freemasons.
Lyndon B. Johnson – he was initiated as a 1° Entered Apprentice Mason at Johnson City Lodge 561, but he never became a 3° Master Mason.
Ronald Reagan – on February 11, 1988, he was made an honorary member on sight of the Scottish Rite – SJ and the Shrine.
Bill Clinton – he was a member of the masonic youth organization – DeMolay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_who_were_Freemasons
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-presidents-who-were-masons-2017-3#george-washington-1
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/freemasonry-and-the-white-house
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0880533900